Kneeling pad



March 10, 1970 J. E. ROSANDER 3,499,502

- KNEELING PAD Filed 001;. 24, 1968 I I. i; I 'ii I INVENTOR.

Judge E. Rosander I 371' I, I" I II II I ,9 Fm 4 2O m/ M ATTORNEY United States Patent US. Cl. 182230 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A kneeling device for use by cement finishers and others comprising a smooth flat base having upwardly and inwardly curved end portions which constitute handles extending across the entire width of the base, and a kneeling pad on the base spaced from the ends of the base to provide spaces which make the inner surfaces of the handles accessible for engagement by the fingers of the user or a tool for lifting or moving the device. The pad is made of non-absorbent, non-porous, resilient material which is instantly expansible when pressure applied thereto has been released and which yieldingly and comfortably supports the knees of the user without bottoming.

This invention relates to a kneeling device of the kind used by workmen for kneeling upon in proximity to their work. Such devices called kneeling boards are commonly used by cement finishers.

The object of this invention is to provide a kneeling device which can be moved easily from one place tov another, which is slidable over a supporting surface, impervious to moisture, and provides comfortable support for the knees of the user.

Another object is to construct the kneeling area of material which is resilient, non-porous and non-absorbtive, which expands and rebounds instantly after pressure applied thereto has been released. Although the kneeling pad may be relatively thin, the chosen material is such that the knees of the user are suported without bottoming, that is, in spaced relationship to the base of the device.

The base of the kneeling device preferably is made of smooth plastic material which is moldable to provide handle means at opposite ends, continuous across the entire ends of the device and spaced from the kneeling pad area sufificiently to give easy access to the handles for grasping by the hands of the user or for engagement by a trowel or tool for lifting or moving the kneeling device as a whole. For most convenient use in cement finishing or similar tasks, two of the devices may be employed, the first one for the worker to kneel upon and the second one for his feet to rest upon during one stage of the work. When that stage has been completed, the worker can move backward to kneel on the second device and then move the first one rearwardly to support his feet and prevent contact with the cement being finished.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a kneeling device embodying my invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view in the plane of the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing one end of a modified form of the kneeling device.

FIG. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view in the plane of the line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view in the plane of the line 55 of FIG. 3.

1n the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the kneeling device comprises a flat relatively thin base having a smooth bottom surface, impervious to moisture, and readily movable and slidable over a surface (not shown) such as a cement floor or walk which is being ice finished by the user of the device. The base 10 is generally rectangular in shape, having parallel longitudinal edges 11 and upwardly curved ends 12 which terminate in inwardly curved edge portions 13. The parts 12, 13 provide handle means Which extends the full width of each end of the kneeling device, readily accessible to the user who may grasp the handles by hand or by inserting a trowel or other tool into the space 16 to engage the inner surfaces of the parts 12, 13, to move the kneeling pad from one place to another.

A pad 15 is mounted on the upper surface of the base 10 and extends from one longitudinal edge 11 to the opposite edge 11, but is shorter than the longitudinal dimension of the base 10, to provide spaces 16 between each end of the pad 15 and the curved upturned end portions 12, 13, of the base. The spaces 16 provide for access to the handles formed by the end portions.

The pad 15 comprises a cover 17 of moisture impervious material and filler 18 which is resilient, quickly expansible after compression, non-porous and non-absorbent. A commercially available product which has the required characteristics is known as Ensolite (a registered trademark of United States Rubber Company). The cover 17 may be of vinyl or other suitable material. The pad 15 may be attached to the top of the base by any suitable cement 19.

The modified form of the kneeling pad shown in FIGS. 3-5 is similar to the construction shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 excepting that the base 20 is provided with longitudinally extending upwardly directed side edge flanges 21. The handle members provided by the upwardly curved portions 12 and inwardly curved portions 13 are the same as the parts 12 and 13 heretofore described. The construction of the pad 15 is the same as described, its longitudinal side surfaces being confined between and protected by the edge flanges 21 of the base 20.

I claim:

1. A kneeling device for use by cement finishers and others comprising (a) a base of moisture impervious material having parallel fiat smooth upper and lower surfaces,

(b) handles substantially equal in length to the width of the base connected to and extending across the ends of the base and having upwardly and inwardly curved surfaces, and

(c) a kneeling pad mounted on the base and fastened to the base having ends spaced from said handles and having an upper surface in a plane below the plane of the inwardly curved surfaces of the handles to provide unobstructed access to the inner surfaces of said handles for engagement by thefingers of the user or by a tool for moving the device.

2. The kneeling device defined by claim 1, in which the base and handles are made of moldable material and the handles are integral with the base.

3. The kneeling device defined by claim 1, in which the kneeling pad is made of non-absorbent, non-porous resilient material which is instantly expansible when pressure applied thereto has been released and which yieldingly and comfortably supports the knees of the user without bottoming.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 148,676 2/1948 Cary 44-14 830,103 9/1906 Rundell 18223O 1,375,399 4/1921 Leonard 443 2,052,973 9/1936 Furtzaig 182-230 REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner 

